Legislator: ‘We owe each other respect’

I am truly honored to represent the people of Scarborough in House District 29, which is coastal Scarborough. Serving in my freshman term, my goal has been to provide open and civil dialogue with my constituents and to be accessible to their concerns. Thank you to the many constituents who have emailed, called and visited me in Augusta this session.

Thank you to Chief Moulton, Officer John Gill and Chief Thurlow for the trips you made to Augusta; for engaging me in key legislation that was not just important to Scarborough, but to Maine. I am so appreciative of your experience and insight, and am grateful for the good work we were able to accomplish working together.

As the 127th Legislature adjourns, I arrived home to read the Current. There was a letter from Mr. Charles Spanger with a closing sentence that read: “Please, Rep. Sirocki and Rep. Vachon, do the right thing for our future. No petty excuses. Vote to override. Grow solar in Maine.”

I was taken aback for a few reasons, I have never met Mr. Spanger. He has never called or emailed me, and in his letter to the editor he failed to identify that he is a member of the Scarborough Conservation Commission.

Problems can be solved and good policy can be established when you come from a place that believes and trusts that fruitful work is done in a spirit of understanding and compromise. We may not always agree, but we owe each other respect for the difficult decisions we face for the common good of all.

To the many who did contact me on solar, I support solar, but not this bill. If you would like to know more about why I voted on any issue, please email Karen.vachon@maine.legislature.gov.